"What are you doing here, Jake?" I whisper-ask with an over the top smile in the direction of the customers. "I'm trying to work."
"I know," he says.
I wait for more information, but he just stands there, proud of himself for some reason. I stand there grinning like an idiot for a minute. Then I give up and grab him by the bicep because it's more professional than grabbing him by an ear and drag his ass into one of the exam rooms.
Once we're there, he looks confused. Good, that makes us even.
Chapter 25
Jake
I can tell Angie's still pissed at me, and with good reason. I wish I had told her how I felt back in high school. But I didn't. So now, my only choice is to prove to her that I'm the one who changed.
Apparently, mind blowingly great sex will only take you so far.
Her brown eyes flash at me and my cock wants to stand at attention. Down, boy. She's wearing a beige skirt that's just short enough to show off those dynamite legs and a tight top with flowers on it and two buttons undone. Just enough to catch my attention in all the right ways.
"Jake! Eyes up here."
"Sorry," I say as she herds me into one of the back exam rooms. It smells like cleaning products and dog breath. I guess that's an occupational hazard.
"What are you doing here right now? There isn't a meet and greet that I know of. And this isn't a photo shoot. It's a business, Jake. I have work to do."
"I know. I know that. That's why I brought them here."
"Who?" She asks, hands on her hips.
Those hips, they are threatening to destroy my entire train of thought. Where was I? Oh yeah. "Camera crew."
I take a step forward and turn on my best smile. "I thought about it, last night, after you drove off. I read all of your vet reviews and then the Animal Universe Incorporated reviews.
The place where you're lapping them is customer service. Real attention and personalized care. So I talked a Channel Fourteen news crew into coming in here this morning. They're here to interview you, follow you around, see what you're all about."
That freezes Angie in her tracks. She blows a stray hair out of her face. "Seriously? You're telling me that there's a camera crew in my lobby right now?"
Mia appears in the open doorway and her face is lit up in excitement. "Angie, there's a news crew here. They're asking for you. What do I tell them?"
Angie's gaze ping pongs from me to Mia and back to me. Her expression softens.
"Tell them I'll be right there,” she tells Mia.
Mia disappears.
Angie smiles at me. She actually smiles.
"A little bit of a heads up would have been nice. But thanks, Jake."
With a swish of her blond ponytail, she's out of the room and down the hall.
I follow, watching her ass. But I feel ten feet tall. Angie deserves all the good things in life. I just hope that I can fit myself into it somewhere. Seeing her shine makes me smile.
I enter the lobby to see Angie charming the camera crew with her smile and confidence. Then she takes the first customer of the day and everybody follows her back to the exam room. I go over to Mia and see if there's anything I can do to help.
The afternoon flies by until the next thing I know, Angie and I are the last ones in the building after closing time.
Angie turns to me at long last. My stomach tightens.
"Why did you do that?"
I raise an eyebrow innocently. "Do what?"
Angie takes a step toward me and my pulse quickens. "You know what. The camara crew? What are you playing at, Jake? And don't tell me this has anything to do with community service. You could have picked any business. You could have called the camera crew and stayed home today."
The curve of her neck has me mesmerized. She's so damn hot. It's obvious that she has no idea the effect that being in the same room with her has on me. "I told you, I want to help."
"Is that all you want?"
No, it's not all I want. I want more. A lot more. I'd be upset that she's still piercing holes in me with her gaze, but I know that’s her style. Fiesty, fierce, and self-assured.
“You’re right,” I tell her with my cockiest smile, “I want a hell of a lot more than that.”
Chapter 26
Angie
I wake much happier than I have in a while. Again.
Not even the broken coffee pot can bother me this morning. Especially with all the new customers I've gotten lately. It's crazy. Soon, I'll even have enough to pay for Cara. Everything has changed.
Of course, there's still the nagging worry I feel inside that Jake left once after sleeping with me, he could certainly do it again. It took almost a year to get over. I banish those thoughts from my mind.
A little while later, and I'm walking into Ocean Wave coffee again with a spring in my step. The barista fixes me with a you-go-girl stare as I walk in the door. There isn't even a line. What a morning.
"Heard you and Jake are back together," the barista says, waggling each eyebrow at me in turn.
"Nope," I lie, "not back together. Not at all." I say the words, but this time the stupid smile won't come off of my face no matter how hard I will it to.
Betsy gives me a smile and a wink. Then she makes a clicking noise with her tongue. "Girl, you're secret's safe with me."
I laugh at that sentiment. It's what everybody has been saying ever since he got back into town. Heard you two were back together. Only now it's true. Kind of.
The next
